


Thanks to Judith

by bethygreene



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 06:37:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9223385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bethygreene/pseuds/bethygreene
Summary: “I got… feelin’s for someone, and I can’t figure out how I’m gonna tell ‘em.”“Is it Jesus?”Daryl shot her a look. “How the hell’d ya know that?”Judith just rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. The only person that doesn’t know you love Jesus is Jesus.”“I didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout love, kid.” He reached over and tickled her side, causing her to giggle.Also known as six-year-old Judith Grimes giving Daryl Dixon quality relationship advice.





	

**Author's Note:**

> One day I'll write something other than fluff. (Probably.)

Daryl had been pacing the floors in the Grimes’ living room for at least twenty minutes now. He’d recently come to the realization that he could quite possibly have some not so platonic feelings for his best friend. And that best friend just so happened to be none other than Paul “Jesus” Rovia.

They’d gotten pretty close over the last few years. Ever since they’d finally taken down The Saviors, things had been pretty damn good. Jesus had even decided to take up a permanent residency in Alexandria. He actually became Daryl’s roommate, which meant that the two of them spent a lot of time together.

Once Daryl heard that Jesus was planning to stay in Alexandria permanently, he’d sought him out immediately and, with minimal hesitation, offered up one of the spare rooms in his house to him. Daryl had always been a bit of a loner, and Jesus knew that, so he was surprised that Daryl had even offered, but still, he accepted.

Now that Daryl looked back at it, he realized that asking Jesus to move in with him was the first sign that he was starting to feel something that was a bit more that friendship toward him.

Other things had happened since then though to make him fall for the younger man. They were all little things, too. Like the way that he’d come down the stairs every morning with his mouth wide open in the middle of a yawn, and his hair sticking up in all different directions. Or the way that he and Daryl would sit in silence with each other in their living room and read books after they’d both eaten dinner. Even the way that Jesus would dedicate every Saturday to cleaning the house, when he knew that Daryl would just be right behind him to mess everything up again.

Daryl couldn’t pinpoint what the exact thing was that made him stop and think, _‘Oh, shit. I really am in love with this idiot.’_ He just knew that he was, without a doubt, in love with Paul Rovia. He just didn’t know how the hell he was supposed to tell him that.

So, here he was, anxiously waiting for Rick to come back from the run that he’d gone out on with Aaron so that he could ask him for advice.

Judith was sitting on the couch looking through one of Carl’s comic books and watching him pace around the room. Daryl had agreed to watch her so that Michonne could get out of the house for a bit and so that Carl could go and see Enid.

She eventually got tired of watching him and let out the biggest sigh that a frustrated six-year-old could possibly make.

“Uncle Daryl, you’re gonna wear holes in the floor if you keep walkin’ on ‘em like that.”

He looked at her as she spoke and, finally, stopped walking. He sat down beside of her on the couch and put his head in his hands.

“’M sorry, kid. Didn’t even realize what I was doin’.”

Judith closed the comic book and sat it down on the coffee table in front of them before crossing her legs and looking over at Daryl.

“Are ya nervous or somethin’?”

Daryl grumbled. “Mhm.”

“What’cha got to nervous ‘bout?” She placed a hand on his shoulder, her tone of voice sincere.

He sighed and removed his head from his hands and looked over at her. “Ain’t nothin’ I can’t handle.”

That was a lie, and Judith could tell.

“If ya could handle it, ya would’ve handled it already. C’mon, Uncle Daryl, tell me what’s on your mind. I can help, ya know.”

He cracked a smile at this. He wasn’t sure how much a six-year-old could help, but he figured he’d try it anyway.

“I got… feelin’s for someone, and I can’t figure out how I’m gonna tell ‘em.”

“Is it Jesus?”

Daryl shot her a look. “How the hell’d ya know that?”

Judith just rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. The only person that doesn’t know you love Jesus is Jesus.”

“I didn’t say nothin’ ‘bout love, kid.” He reached over and tickled her side, causing her to giggle.

“You love him, Uncle Daryl. You didn’t have to say it for me to know that.”

“Oh yeah? How do ya know that?” He questioned, leaning against the back of the couch.

Judith leaned back against the couch with Daryl and looked up at him. “Because you look at Jesus the way that my Daddy looks at my Mommy, and he loves her.”

Daryl hummed. The kid had a point, and he wasn’t about to argue.

“And,” Judith spoke up again, “Jesus looks at you that way, too. He loves you too. You should tell him how you feel.”

She reached over and took Daryl’s large hand into her small one and held it tight.

Daryl wasn’t sure that he’d actually be able to tell Jesus how he felt, but thanks to Judith, he was sure as hell willing to try.

* * *

Later that night, Daryl was sitting on the couch in his living room reading a book. Alone. Jesus missed dinner, which was very unlike him. If he knew that he was going to be late, he’d always told Daryl first.

Daryl was starting to worry. However, he didn’t let himself worry too much because he knew that Jesus was still in Alexandria. He hadn’t made any plans to go outside of the walls, because he definitely would’ve told Daryl if that were the case. He’d be home soon.

Eventually, Jesus made his way through the front door. As he did, he relieved himself of his coat and hung it on the nearby coat rack. He pulled his shoes off and set them neatly beside of the door before walking into the living room.

He spotted Daryl on the couch and went to sit down beside of him.

“Sorry I’m late, I was with Michonne.”

Daryl cocked an eyebrow at him. “Ya know she’s a married woman, right?”

Jesus playfully punched his shoulder. “I was on my way home and saw her sitting outside on her porch. I stopped by to thank her for the candy bar that she brought back for me from her run yesterday, and we just kept talking.”

Daryl hummed.

“She actually, uhm, she told me something. Something really exciting. But I don’t think I should tell you.” Jesus grinned.

Daryl narrowed his eyes at him. “Ya can’t say shit like that and then _not_ tell me what it is, Paul.”

Jesus leaned in to whisper in Daryl’s ear, as if he were a gossiping teenager. “She’s pregnant!”

Daryl’s jaw dropped slightly and he turned to face Jesus. “Seriously?”

“Seriously!” Jesus exclaimed.

“Well, ain’t that somethin’.” Daryl mumbled, a small smile threatening to form on his face.

“She’s going to tell Rick tonight, and then I’m going to take her to Hilltop tomorrow so that they can check on the baby to make sure that everything’s going smoothly. Do you want to come with us?”

Daryl nodded. “Yeah, wouldn’t miss it.”

“Great!” Jesus stood up then and started to walk toward the kitchen, “I’m assuming that you put my food in the fridge?”

Daryl got up and followed behind him. “Always do when you’re late.”

Jesus opened up the fridge, and sure enough, there was a plate of food waiting for him on the top shelf, as well as a can of expired diet soda sitting right beside of it. He mumbled a thank you to Daryl before taking a seat at their dining table.

Daryl went to sit down in the chair next to him. He sighed and put his hands on the table.

Jesus was just about to begin digging into his food, but he could tell that something was obviously bothering Daryl. So, he decided to try and get him to talk about it.

“Daryl, is something on your mind?”

Daryl didn’t see a point in lying, so he just told him the truth. “Uh-huh.”

Jesus picked up the can of diet soda and brought it up to his lips before speaking. “Okay. What is it?”

“I love you.” Daryl didn’t even realize that he’d said the words until they were already out of his mouth.

Jesus had the soda in his mouth by then, but as soon as Daryl said those three words, he spat it all out. “Did… did you just say that you loved me?”

Daryl panicked. He couldn’t believe that he’d said that. Yeah, he’d planned to say it eventually, but it wasn’t supposed to come out right then and there.

But there was no use in denying it now, Jesus had already heard him. Daryl just sighed.

“Yeah, I did.” He confessed.

Jesus turned in his seat to face Daryl and grinned. “That’s awesome.”

Daryl was confused and embarrassed, so he shot a questioning look at the man beside of him. “That’s _awesome?”_

Jesus let out a chuckle as he reached out to take Daryl’s hands into his own. “It’s awesome because I love you too, Daryl.”

Daryl’s look of confusion faded then, and turned into one of pure happiness. He was glad that he and Judith had their little discussion earlier, because if they hadn’t, he doubted that this would be happening right now.

All because of her, he was able to tell Jesus how he really felt about him, and in return, found out that Jesus felt the same way. He’d have to thank her later.

**Author's Note:**

> Part Two should be up in a few days. <3 Hope you enjoyed! Xo
> 
> Come yell with me about this beautiful ship on [tumblr](http://bellamysmoaks.tumblr.com/).


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